Mid-afternoon on the sixth day of their journey, the river turned sharply to the south. Heather was in the front of the group and was the first to notice. She paused for a moment in surprise and then turned from her eastward trek and walked south. They had been walking nearly twenty yards from the river and so she reached the riverbank in just a few moments. She had to force her way through some underbrush, but the bushes here were stunted and did not present any real impediment.
Reaching the shore, Heather looked out over the river. It was flowing fast here, being forced into a rather sharp turn. To the east was a line of rocky hills. The river ran along the base of the hills and was slowly eroding the hard rocks. Over time, several of the nearest hills had been eroded to the point that the lower part of the rock had been washed away, but the higher portions of the hills remained intact. This created a sort of covered cove, where the water from the river actually flowed under the overhanging rock of the hill.
It was a beautiful sight. Heather was still admiring the view when the others pushed their way through the underbrush and joined her.
“Finally,” Agminion said.
Heather pulled her eyes from the river and the hills to look at the sorcerer. “You sound relieved. Did you not think that we would get here?” She had a bit of a smile on her face and it was probably the friendliest that she had spoken to him in days.
Scowling, Agminion did not meet her gaze. “It’s not whether we would get here, but rather will we get to Providence Port before our ship is forced to leave.”
Heather remembered what he had told them when he explained his plan, ‘We have to be in Providence Port in eight days, nine at the latest or our ship sails without us.’ Sighing, she turned and began walking north. “Come on,” she said without looking back, “time is short.”
They picked up their pace as much as possible as they headed northeast. The terrain was still wild but it gradually thinned out. The morning of the eighth day they stumbled upon the first small farm. There were quite a few along the western edge of Alandell Lake. With all the ports and merchant caravans, there was a constant demand for food. The farms in the vicinity profited handsomely for their output.
The farms slowed their progress, as they had to be more careful of being seen. Undoubtedly soldiers had spread their descriptions, even this far to the east of Eled Aminor.
As the sun set on the eighth day, they had no choice but to keep heading northeastward. If Agminion was correct, then they had to make it to the port by tomorrow.
They walked through the night. Between the farms and the growing number of small roads, the terrain was no longer a problem. They still had to be careful of holes, but by and large the trees and bushes were not much of a hindrance anymore.
They walked until well after midnight and then stopped for several hours of sleep. Agminion had argued for marching straight through the night, but Heather had refused. If they had to take the ship, she would not have those under her command exhausted. It would be far better to miss the ship than to walk carelessly into a trap
The morning of the ninth day was cool and clear. It was going to be a beautiful day. Heather got the group moving even before the sun had come up. They started their trek northwards but they were forced to slow their pace.
In addition to the farms, farming trails and roads were becoming quite a bit more common. They were used to connect the farms and the all the different ports together. It reminded Heather of a tree. The highway from Eled Aminor was the trunk of the tree and all these small roads and trails were the branches.
Shortly after the sun was up, other travelers began to appear on the road. They were the first people Heather’s group had seen in nearly ten days. Some were farmers, others were merchants, but regardless of who they were, their presence was a major concern to Heather.
Calling a stop, Heather motioned the others to gather around. She nodded to the other travelers moving slowly along the road. “We’re going to pass a lot of people today. A lot of people who have heard our descriptions. We’re too obvious in such a large group. Here’s what I want to do. Atock, I want you to take Cassandra, Enton, and Aaron and follow us at a distance. Don’t get too close. Our descriptions have been circulated as a group. I want these people to see us as several unrelated groups. Understand?”
Atock nodded. “How far back do you want us?”
Heather shrugged, “I don’t care. Just keep us in sight and don’t go too slowly. If we have to change direction, we’ll make sure you see which way we go, but don’t make us wait too long.”
Before long their progress slowed even more. The closer they got to the port, the more travelers lined the roads. At first, Heather feared someone might recognize one of them, after all, both Enton and Atock tended to stand out in a crowd. She checked constantly on the progress of the second group and was relieved to see them following at a safe distance. She slowly relaxed as they passed more of the caravans and wagons. The guards and wagon drivers watched them warily, but it was more out of fear the Guardians might try and rob the wagons then that the drivers had recognized them.
Her heart got stuck in her throat shortly after lunchtime, when they rounded a bend in the road and passed a small squad of soldiers riding slowly in the opposite direction. The leader of the soldiers was an older man and he was mounted on a horse in front of the small group. He studied the Guardians, but no more so than he looked over the wagon drivers and farmers. His eyes swept over them and kept right on going. Still, Heather didn’t breathe easy until the horsemen had disappeared from sight.
Despite their best efforts, the sun went down before they reached the port. This close, the sides of the roads were lined with farmers sleeping on their wagons. Caravans also lined the roads and they had guards that watched the Guardians pass in the night.
Finally, about an hour or two after sundown, they crested a hill and saw the port laid out before them.
“I’m impressed,” Heather said as the others moved up beside her to get a look. “I didn’t expect the port to be this big or have this many people.”
Providence Port was a natural round harbor with wooden docks lining the shore. Just away from the actual docks were large warehouses. Some of the warehouses were owned by the merchants and others were owned by the locals and could be rented for the right price.
Still farther away from the docks, and just past the warehouses, were the businesses that always sprang up around docks; bars and brothels.
Even from this distance it was easy to see that the sailors were enjoying themselves. The place was well lit and here and there men could be seen staggering through the streets. Whores lined the balconies of the brothels and shouted their offers down to the men. To the Guardians’ left, which would be to the north, one bar erupted with shouts and the sounds of breaking glass. Shortly thereafter, an enormous crowd of men spilled out of the bar into the street.
Heather turned her back to the scene. “So, what do we do now?” Without waiting for an answer, she stepped back and motioned for Atock’s group to join them. Every since the sun had gone down, she had them follow apart, but much closer than in the daytime.
“I’ll go down to the portmaster’s office and see if The Willing Woman is still in port,” Agminion said quickly.
Tilting her head, Heather looked baffled. “Who’s the willing woman?” she asked.
Agminion smiled for the first time in days. “It’s not a woman. It’s my uncle’s ship. The Willing Woman is the ship’s name.”
“The portmaster’s office will be closed at this time of night,” Cassandra said. “You’ll have better luck walking the docks.”
Shaking his head, Agminion regarded the woman. “Wrong. The office will be closed, but there will be a posting of all ships currently in port. It’ll be posted on the door. It’s procedure in these port towns.” He grinned again, “walking the docks is a good way to get killed. There’s always a lot of thieves and cutthroats in these little towns. Sailors get paid after their voyag
e is complete and if they try and stumble back from the bars, well, let’s just say that they may never be heard from again.”
“Aren’t these towns well guarded?” Dagan asked. He was not smiling and seemed his normal ornery self.
“They are,” Agminion agreed, nodding his head, “however, the guards make sure no one robs the warehouses or the ships. They don’t much care for a few sailors here and there.” He looked back at the city, “In fact, some of the guards are probably involved with the cutthroats.” He was silent for a moment, obviously thinking. Finally, he shook himself and turned back to the others. “All right, I’m going into town. Wait here for me.”
“Hold on,” Heather said quickly. Agminion reluctantly stopped and eyed her. “I’m coming with you.”
“Why?” Agminion asked, looking grumpy again. “Do you still not trust me?”
Smiling, Heather shook her head, “No,” she said simply.
Agminion stood there for a moment, he seemed to be grinding his teeth, then he turned and stomped off towards the port town.
Sighing deeply, Heather turned to face the Guardians. “I’ll be back shortly,” she said. “While I’m gone, Enton is in charge.”
None of the other Guardians said anything, but several mouths dropped open at the big warrior being in charge.
Heather glanced at Enton and he raised his eyebrows questioningly. This time she nodded. Time to start your planning, she thought.
Agminion led the way into town and Heather followed closely on his heels. He still hadn’t spoken to her and he wouldn’t even acknowledge her presence. It didn’t much matter to her. As far as she was concerned, he could pout all he wanted.
Even from this distance, Heather could hear the waves and the air even felt different. Probably due to the lake.
The port town was grouped into sections. Each section was a half-circle. The piers were the centermost section of town where the shore ran north to south. The other sections radiated out away from where the ships docked.
The outer groupings of buildings were housing for the locals that worked in the port. Mixed in were some smaller warehouses for the less well off merchants. They passed through these buildings quickly, which was a good thing. This might be a small port town with a large transient population, but it was well lit and there were plenty of guards. They watched Agminion and Heather as they passed but they didn’t interfere. As long as strangers behaved themselves, then the guards would let them alone.
Beyond the local housing was the bars, brothels, and other assorted shops. This was a much busier place, even though the shops and stores were closed. The taverns and whorehouses seemed to be enough of an attraction. The housing section had been well lit, but it was nothing compared to this area of town.
The bars all had enormous signs depicting crazy scenes that were almost glowing. Has to be magic! Heather thought, staring around with her mouth open. Each sign was a myriad of different colors, and to tell the truth, it almost made her head hurt. The lights in the other sections of town were the normal oil lamps and lanterns, but the bar signs bore the unmistakable signs of magic and the cost must have been enormous.
If the bars were all different colors, all the brothels were red. There was different shades of red, but the front porch, the inside windows, and the overhead balcony all glowed one or another shade of crimson.
Heather watched in amusement as sailors stumbled from one place to another. They’re like children being offered an unlimited supply of candy’ she thought.
Agminion barely looked at the human spectacle that was taking place all around him, but instead maintained his quick pace through the debauchery.
The next section of town was the warehouses and it too was well lit, but the lighting was of a totally different nature. The bar and brothels had been lit with bright colors, but the light that illuminated the warehouses were a clear bright light, that was clearly not meant to entertain. Enormous oil lanterns were attached to poles that lined the warehouses. No one would be approaching any of the buildings without being seen.
Heather kept a close watch around them, but no one tried to bother them and they quickly passed through the warehouse section.
The last section was the docks, and this was the least well lit section of town. The ships and their berths were well lit, but the rest of the area between the water and the warehouses was kind of dark. Heather understood what Agminion had meant about walking the docks being dangerous.
Agminion finally slowed, and for the first time, he showed an interest in his surroundings. “Stay alert. We’re being watched.”
Heather believed him. She hadn’t seen anyone but she could easily enough believe that there were people in the shadows.
Agminion kept walking until he came to the very last lane, which ran along the water’s edge. He looked both left and right and considered for a moment.
“Do you know which way?” Heather asked, craning her neck to keep an eye on their surroundings.
“Not exactly,” was his answer. “Should be in the middle of the town, but I’m not exactly sure where we are.” He considered for a moment and then turned to his right, which was south. “I think it’s this way.”
Heather followed for several moments, trying hard to keep an eye on everything at once.
Long piers ran out into the water and numerous ships were tied up. She assumed that the thieves wouldn’t be on the actual wharf, but probably in the darker area next to the warehouses. At least the lane was wide, so as to better accommodate the caravan traffic.
They walked for several minutes before Agminion said, “There! That has to be it.” He led them to a small wooden building in between two long piers. It was a circular building with wooden siding that was suffering water damage. Several of the wooden shingles were missing from the roof. A small porch wrapped around half of the building and metal bars covered the windows.
In the middle of the porch, right above the main entrance, was a lantern, which managed to keep the porch well lit.
Agminion practically sprinted onto the walkway and stopped beside the door. Several papers was attached there.
Heather did not follow him onto the porch, but instead stood at the edge, watching the shadows. “Well?” she asked without looking at the sorcerer.
There was a brief pause and she finally did look over.
Agminion looked ashen. “She’s gone,” was all he said.
Chapter 6
“What?” Heather asked dully. She had been afraid of this, afraid they would be too late, but still the realization gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Well, at least we won’t have to worry about taking the ship, she thought
“She’s gone,” Agminion said as he glanced over at Heather. “The Willing Woman is listed as having departed earlier today.”
There was silence between them for several moments and Heather spent the time thinking furiously. It had been a good plan and perhaps they could still use parts of it. Perhaps they could buy passage out of Aramonia to another port town in a different kingdom. After that, it shouldn’t be too hard to hire a riverboat to take them north. At least she hoped it wouldn’t be too hard. The real problem was did they split up or try to get rooms on the same ship. She was still wrestling with the dilemma when Agminion spoke again.
“It may not be too late,” he said simply.
Heather was confused. “What do you mean? I thought the ship was gone.”
“It is,” Agminion answered, “but Uncle Kapernum knows that this is important.” He saw Heather’s suddenly wary look and he hurried on, “He doesn’t know the details, just that it’s important. There wasn’t any way he could have stayed in port any longer without raising suspicions, so he had to sail. However, it doesn’t mean that he would have left the vicinity.”
Cautious optimism bloomed within Heather. “You think the ship is still around close by?”
“Maybe,” Agminion said. “The problem is how do we find them?”
“That i
s sort of important,” Heather agreed. “Any ideas?”
Agminion didn’t answer right away, but he stood there thinking for several moments. Finally he sighed deeply, “The only thing I can think of is the bars.”
“The bars!” Heather exclaimed. She thought back on all the overflowing bars and brothels they had passed. “Do you have any idea how long it would take to search through them all?”
“It might not take as long as you think,” Agminion said. “The farther you go from the center of town, the seedier the businesses become.” He grinned. “I know my uncle. He’ll be in one of the better establishments near the middle of town.”
A little over an hour later, Heather and Agminion entered the fourth bar. The first three had been reasonably respectable. Each of them had an abundance of guards armed with short clubs. Heather had no doubt the clubs would be extremely effective in the close quarters of the common room. She also got the feeling they would not be needed. Most of the clients in the first three locations had the appearance of wealth. These were the business owners and managers, and while they might enjoying strong drink, they were not going to get falling down drunk and start a fight. Even the signs had been muted, lacking the brilliant colors that Heather had noticed earlier.
The fourth bar was slightly different. There was a bright red stripe all around the outside of the sign that read The Horny Troll. That was Heather’s first clue that they had left the better taverns behind them. Her second clue was the overwhelming blast of sound that flowed into the streets from the front door and windows. There was a covered sidewalk that ran all along the front and several small groups of men were scattered around. Some were drinking, others were just talking, but they all watched the two newcomers as they approached.
“Not very friendly, are they?” Heather asked.
Into the Wastelands: Book Four of the Restoration Series Page 5